Active force electric field anti-pathogenic fabric and methods of charging and deactivating pathogen particles

Abstract

An active force electric field anti-pathogenic fabric is used to remove pathogens from an environment surrounding the fabric. The fabric can be woven into daily clothing items, personal protective equipment, or other clothing items typically worn by a user. The fabric includes a current-carrying mesh that is coated with active materials used to remove pathogens from the air. As such, the fabric operates as an anti-pathogenic material that is used to remove harmful particles from an area surrounding a user. Accordingly, microorganisms, smoke particles, industrial pollutants, odor molecules, allergens are structurally disassociated into harmless protein fragments and natural molecules when encountering the purifying agents in the fabric.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A wearable device including an anti-pathogenic fabric woven therein, the wearable device comprising:
 a wearer-facing side opposite a surrounding environment-facing side, the wearer-facing side configured to reside adjacent to a skin surface of a wearer; 
 a first fiber layer disposed proximate to the wearer-facing side, the first fiber layer including a plurality of interwoven fiber strands forming a first mesh; 
 a second fiber layer disposed proximate to the surrounding environment-facing side, such that the second fiber layer is spaced apart from the first fiber layer, the second fiber layer including a plurality of interwoven fiber strands forming a second mesh; 
 a photocatalytic layer coating the second fiber layer, such that the second fiber layer is disposed between the photocatalytic layer and the first fiber layer, the photocatalytic layer configured to form a first contact surface for pathogenic particles translating in a direction toward the surrounding environment-facing side of the wearable device; and 
 one or more copper naphthenate particles distributed on an outward-facing surface of the photocatalytic layer, the one or more copper naphthenate particles and the photocatalytic layer configured to impart an electrical charge onto the pathogenic particles translating in the direction toward the surrounding environment-facing side of the wearable device, 
 wherein the second fiber layer and the first fiber layer are configured to capture the electrically charged pathogenic particles to prevent the electrically charged pathogenic particles from traversing beyond the first fiber layer, thereby preventing interaction between the electrically charged pathogenic particles and the wearer. 
 
     
     
       2. The wearable device of  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of interwoven fiber strands of the first fiber layer are made of hemp. 
     
     
       3. The wearable device of  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of interwoven fiber strands of the second fiber layer are made of hemp. 
     
     
       4. The wearable device of  claim 1 , further comprising a tetrafluoroethylene layer coating the first fiber layer, such that the tetrafluoroethylene layer is disposed between the first fiber layer and the second fiber layer. 
     
     
       5. The wearable device of  claim 1 , further comprising a tetrafluoroethylene layer coating the second fiber layer, such that the tetrafluoroethylene layer is disposed between the second fiber layer and the photocatalytic layer. 
     
     
       6. The wearable device of  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of microcapsules incorporated into at least one of the first fiber layer and the second fiber layer, each of the plurality of microcapsules including an amount of a microbial substance therein, such that the plurality of microcapsules are configured to release the amount of the microbial substance via a controlled release. 
     
     
       7. The wearable device of  claim 1 , wherein the wearable device is a face mask configured to cover a respiratory tract of the wearer, such that the face mask prevents the electrically charged pathogenic particles from reaching the respiratory tract of the wearer. 
     
     
       8. A method of capturing pathogenic particles via a wearable device including an anti-pathogenic fabric woven therein, the method comprising the steps of:
 interweaving a first plurality of fiber strands into a first fiber layer, the first plurality of fiber strands being made of hemp; 
 interweaving a second plurality of fiber strands into a second fiber layer, the second plurality of fiber strands being made of hemp; 
 coating the second fiber layer with a photocatalytic layer, such that the photocatalytic layer forms an outer contact surface; 
 distributing one or more copper naphthenate particles about the photocatalytic layer, the first fiber layer, the second fiber layer, the photocatalytic layer, and the one or more copper naphthenate particles forming the wearable device configured to reside adjacent to a skin surface of a wearer; 
 charging, via the one or more copper naphthenate particles and the photocatalytic layer, one or more pathogenic particles surrounding the outer contact surface; and 
 capturing, via at least one of the second fiber layer and the first fiber layer, the charged one or more pathogenic particles, such that each of the charged one or more pathogenic particles are prevented from reaching the skin surface of the wearer. 
 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 8 , further comprising the step of coating the first fiber layer with a tetrafluoroethylene layer, such that the tetrafluoroethylene layer is disposed between the first fiber layer and the second fiber layer. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 8 , further comprising the step of coating the second fiber layer with a tetrafluoroethylene layer, such that the tetrafluoroethylene layer is disposed between the second fiber layer and the photocatalytic layer. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 8 , further comprising the step of incorporating a plurality of microcapsules into the first fiber layer, each of the plurality of microcapsules including an amount of a microbial substance therein, such that the plurality of microcapsules are configured to release the amount of the microbial substance via a controlled release. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 8 , further comprising the step of incorporating a plurality of microcapsules into the second fiber layer, each of the plurality of microcapsules including an amount of a microbial substance therein, such that the plurality of microcapsules are configured to release the amount of the microbial substance via a controlled release. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 8 , further comprising the step of energizing the photocatalytic layer to interact with ambient air surrounding the outer contact surface, thereby forming a plurality of hydroxyl radicals on the outer contact surface. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 13 , wherein the step of charging one or more pathogenic particles further comprises the step of reacting the one or more pathogenic particles with the plurality of hydroxyl radicals. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 8 , wherein the wearable device is a face mask configured to cover a respiratory tract of the wearer, further comprising the step of preventing, via the face mask, the electrically charged pathogenic particles from reaching the respiratory tract of the wearer. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 15 , further comprising the step of subjecting the face mask to a cleaning agent and an amount of water, wherein the face mask is reusable after the step of subjecting the face mask to the cleaning agent and the amount of water. 
     
     
       17. An anti-pathogenic fabric including a plurality of interwoven fiber strands, the anti-pathogenic fabric comprising:
 a wearer-facing side opposite a surrounding environment-facing side, the wearer-facing side configured to reside adjacent to a skin surface of a wearer; 
 a first fiber layer disposed proximate to the wearer-facing side, the first fiber layer including a plurality of interwoven fiber strands including an amount of hemp fiber strands interwoven with an amount of natural non-hemp fiber strands and an amount of synthetic fiber strands, forming a first mesh; 
 a second fiber layer disposed proximate to the surrounding environment-facing side, such that the second fiber layer is spaced apart from the first fiber layer, the second fiber layer including a plurality of interwoven fiber strands including an amount of hemp fiber strands interwoven with an amount of natural non-hemp fiber strands and an amount of synthetic fiber strands, forming a second mesh; 
 a photocatalytic layer coating the second fiber layer, such that the second fiber layer is disposed between the photocatalytic layer and the first fiber layer, the photocatalytic layer configured to form a first contact surface for pathogenic particles translating in a direction toward the surrounding environment-facing side of the wearable device; and 
 one or more copper naphthenate particles distributed on an outward-facing surface of the photocatalytic layer, the one or more copper naphthenate particles and the photocatalytic layer configured to impart an electrical charge onto the pathogenic particles translating in the direction toward the surrounding environment-facing side of the wearable device, 
 wherein the second mesh and the first mesh are configured to capture the electrically charged pathogenic particles to prevent the electrically charged pathogenic particles from traversing beyond the first fiber layer, thereby preventing interaction between the electrically charged pathogenic particles and the wearer. 
 
     
     
       18. The anti-pathogenic fabric of  claim 17 , wherein the fabric is interwoven into a face mask that is configured to cover a respiratory tract of the wearer, such that the face mask prevents the electrically charged pathogenic particles from reaching the respiratory tract of the wearer. 
     
     
       19. The anti-pathogenic fabric of  claim 17 , further comprising a first tetrafluoroethylene layer coating the first fiber layer and a second tetrafluoroethylene layer coating the second fiber layer, such that the first tetrafluoroethylene layer is disposed between the first fiber layer and the second fiber layer, and such that the second tetrafluoroethylene layer is disposed between the second fiber layer and the photocatalytic layer. 
     
     
       20. The anti-pathogenic fabric of  claim 17 , further comprising a plurality of microcapsules incorporated into at least one of the first fiber layer and the second fiber layer, each of the plurality of microcapsules including an amount of a microbial substance therein, such that the plurality of microcapsules are configured to release the amount of the microbial substance via a controlled release.